Links golf is a unique test, and one that players can have a love/hate relationship with, but you simply have to get to grips with the challenges it presents to stand a chance of winning The Open.
Eight of the last 10 players to lift the Claret Jug had a previous top 10 in The Open to their names, so showing a fondness of seaside golf is obviously pretty crucial.
But what sort of Open Championship form do the top contenders at Royal Portrush possess?
We know Rory McIlroy has a Claret Jug tucked away in his trophy cabinet, but what of Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and the other leading lights?
Let's take a look at the main contenders.
Scottie Scheffler
Open form (most recent first): 7-23-21-8
The World No.1 has been there our thereabouts on all four Opens, with top 10s on his debut at St George's and last year at Troon - and he's entered the final round in contention three times.
His Scottish Open eighth was solid enough, but he was poor around and on the greens and just has to improve that Achilles heel of his to stand a chance on his first visit to Portrush.
Portrush 2019: DNP
Rory McIlroy
Open form: MC-6-3-46-MC-2-4-5-1-MC-60-25-3-47-42
A winner at Hoylake and the first of four straight top-five finishes, and two more top sixes since including letting a big chance slip at St Andrews three years ago - it's clear McIlroy knows what he's doing on the links. You can put a line through missing the cut last year at Troon on the back of his US Open heartbreak at Pinehurst.
Portrush 2019: 79-65 (MC)
Emotions got the better of him on home soil with a disastrous start to a disastrous opening round, but that Friday 65 was incredible, just pure sporting theatre as Portrush roared him on during his ultimately unsuccessful quest to make the cut. I don't think he'll make that mistake again.
Jon Rahm
Open form: 7-2-34-3-11-MC-44-59
A solid run Rahm's put together in The Open and his trump card this year is it being played in Ireland, where he just loves to tee it up as a two-time Irish Open champion. Those wins have come on true links courses too, including Portrush neighbor Portstewart so strong vibes for the Spaniard this week.
Portrush 2019: 68-70-68-75 (T11)
His 11th here at Portrush - where he also played in the 2014 Amateur Championship - sparked his tidy run of Open form and but for a poor start to Sunday (+4 for his first five holes) he could have really challenged.
Bryson Dechambeau
Open form: MC-60-8-33-MC-51-MC
He's been brilliant in Majors the last couple of years but Bryson's just never got on with links golf - his only top 10 coming in benign conditions at St Andrews is a big outlier as he's never challenged anywhere else, in fact he's never been inside the top 30 after any round of any other Open.
Portrush 2019: 74-73 (MC)
DeChambeau admits he doesn't do well in extreme wind and rain so this was not the week for him - you get the feeling he doesn't know whether to stick or twist in links golf as he wants to attack it but you just can't at times.
Tommy Fleetwood
Open form: MC-10-4-33-2-12-27-MC-MC-MC
He's knocked on the door a couple of times and was the first round leader at Royal Liverpool a couple of years ago, and he's not afraid to throw in a 66 or even 65 in an Open, but stringing four rounds together is the issue. A return to Portrush, site of his best result, may help.
Portrush 2019: 68-67-66-74 (2nd)
His closest call so far but Shane Lowry always kept him at arm's length. Fleetwood started the day four shots back, which became three after an opening Lowry bogey, but it never got any closer.
Xander Schauffele
Open form: 1-17-15-26-41-2-20
The defending champion has struggled this season but has some great Open numbers. He was flawless in awful conditions at Troon last year, and knows how to go low especially in the final round as he's got three Sunday 65s to his name in seven appearances! He has piled up some big numbers though, including on his last visit to Northern Ireland...
Portrush 2019: 74-65-69-78 (T41)
His scores at Portrush kind of summed up his Open form in general, with two sparkling rounds bookended by two stinkers. If he's in touch this time though beware.
Ludvig Aberg
Open form: MC
Not much form to dig through for the young Swede, and he was given a baptism of fire, or perhaps thrown in at the deep end is more appropriate for his Open debut last year. A missed cut following rounds of 75-76 was understandable, and an eighth at the Scottish Open showed he can play this style of golf nicely.
Portrush 2019: DNP
Tyrrell Hatton
Open form: MC-20-11-MC-6-51-MC-5-MC-MC-MC-MC
What a mixed bag Tyrrell Hatton has here! More cuts missed than made but also two top-six finishes, including here at Portrush and even though it's a different game, that close call at the US Open will have his confidence flying.
Portrush 2019: 68-71-71-69 (T6)
A good start is key for Hatton as his best ever opening round in the Open came at Portrush where he then recorded his second-best finish.
Viktor Hovland
Open form: MC-13-4-12
The Norwegian looks to be back on the right track so we can forgive last year's missed cut - and he has held a 54-hole lead at The Open before (St Andrews 2022) so there's no reason why he can't be up there again on the famous yellow leaderboards.
Portrush 2019: DNP
Shane Lowry
Open form: 6-MC-21-12-1-MC-MC-MC-MC-9-32-37
Just one top 10 before his incredible Portrush success and just one since, but it was a superb effort at Troon last year in similar tough conditions to those he triumphed in back in 2019. So Lowry will want the weather to do its worst again.
Portrush 2019: 67-67-63-72 (1)
The Saturday 63 stuck a dagger into the field and gave him a lead that was impossible for anyone to claw back - only Tommy Fleetwood stood a chance but he couldn't land a blow as Lowry saw the tournament out beautifully.
Robert MacIntyre
Open form: 50-71-34-8-6
His sixth on his Open debut here at Portrush remains his best Open finish, but MacIntyre has also won the Scottish Open which fulfilled a lifetime ambition for the proud Scotsman, who was born and raised on links golf so is always liable to produce another challenge.
Portrush 2019: 68-72-71-68 (T6)
He was a surprising challenger on his debut but the left hander will return to Northern Ireland now as one of the crowd favorites so he'll have a different pressure, but he obviously loves the Portrush links.
Collin Morikawa
Open form: 16-MC-MC-1
Bizarre form here with that stunning victory on debut followed by two missed cuts, but a much better effort in the Troon rain last year. He missed the cut in Scotland this year but was fourth there last year so obviously knows what to do - and Billy Foster may make a difference this time around.
Portrush 2019: DNP
Matt Fitzpatrick
Open form: 50-41-21-26-20-MC-44-MC-44
You'd probably think Fitzpatrick would have a better Open record than this, but his best result did come here in 2019 and a fourth at the Scottish Open last week means he's in decent touch. It's still tough to work out if the Englishman actually relishes the challenge of links golf or not though.
Portrush 2019: 71-69-70-73 (T20)
A solid if unspectacular top 20 for Fitzpatrick, who is a huge fan of Portrush and rates it higher than a lot of other Open venues.
Sepp Straka
Open form: 22-2-MC
The Austrian is a question mark - he's got two really solid efforts including a runner-up in The Open - he's won twice this year and he finished seventh in Scotland last week. But in the 2025 Majors he's missed all three cuts, time for a change here?
Portrush 2019: DNP
Justin Thomas
Open form: 31-MC-53-40-11-MC-MC-53
For a player with shot making ability like his, Thomas should really have a better record than this. His inconsistency has been his downfall as he's shot everything from 67 to 82 in his first rounds.
Portrush 2019: 71-70-68-72 (T11)
Another huge fan of Portrush, his best finish came here in 2019 so he's another who could pull out his best stuff this week.
Joaquin Niemann
Open form: 58-MC-53-59-MC
Like his overall form in the Majors, Niemann's Open record is just so poor given his obvious talent. His first ever top 10 at the PGA Championship this year was a plus, but he missed the cut at the US Open to revert to type. He could play well but previous form suggests otherwise.
Portrush 2019: DNP
Jordan Spieth
Open form: 25-23-8-2-20-9-1-30-4-36-44
Another shot maker extraordinaire and a previous Claret Jug winner who could've had another one or two tucked away by now. A new baby arriving just before the tournament could be a huge bonus as the famed 'nappy factor' in golf can often work - when the pressure of tournament golf melts away into relative insignificance. And if there's one golfer who you'd back as a freewheeler it's Spieth.
Portrush 2019: 70-67-69-77 (T20)
Well in touch after 36 and 54 holes but slid away on Sunday, but played well enough to show the course suits.
Justin Rose
Open form: 2-MC-46-20-2-54-22-6-23-MC-MC-44-MC-13-70-12-MC-22-30-MC-4
Did absolutely nothing wrong when chasing Xander Schauffele home last year, much like he did nothing wrong when losing that Masters playoff to Rory McIlroy. He's due another Major and he'd probably have earmarked this one at the start of the year. He also shot 63 in Scotland on Sunday as a warm-up.
Portrush 2019: 69-67-68-79 (T20)
Top five in Portrush until a Sunday horrow show that can happen to anyone trying too hard to chase down a leader - if he's closer this Sunday he'll produce a much better finish.
Adam Scott
Open form: 10-33-15-46-MC-17-22-43-10-5-3--252-27-MC-16-27-8-34-42-MC-MC-47-MC
He should've won this in 2012 and has suggested recently that a second Major is still in there - with a top 10 at Troon last year and his big challenge at last month's US Open showing he's still got the appetite.
Portrush 2019: 78-73 (MC)
He never really stood a chance after his opening round so best put a line through that one.
Keegan Bradley
Open form: MC-MC-MC-MC-MC-79-18-MC-19-15-34
Three figure prices around for the World No.7 and that's largely down to an incredible run of five straight missed cuts at The Open! He is playing the best golf of his career overall so maybe he can turn it around as he looks to qualify for his own Ryder Cup team?
Portrush 2019: 73-71 (MC)
A similar theme at Portrush to the rest of his Open form really.
Read more: The Open 2025 Picks to win and betting odds
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